1 Kings 2:7-17

7 "But ¹show kindness to the sons of Barzillai the Gileadite, and ²let them be among those who eat at your table; ³for they assisted me when I fled from Absalom your brother.

8 "Behold, ⁴there is with you Shimei the son of Gera the Benjamite, of Bahurim; now it was he who cursed me with a violent curse on the day I went to Mahanaim. But when ⁵he came down * to me at the Jordan, I swore to him by the LORD, saying, 'I will not put you to death with the sword.'

9 "Now therefore, do not let him go unpunished, ⁶for you are a wise man; and you will know what you ought to do to him, and you will bring his gray hair down to Sheol with blood."

Death of David

10 Then ⁷David slept with his fathers and was buried in ⁸the city of David.

11 ⁹The days that David reigned over Israel were forty years: ¹⁰seven years he reigned in Hebron and thirty-three * years he reigned in Jerusalem.

12 And ¹¹Solomon sat on the throne of David his father, and his kingdom was firmly established.

13 Now Adonijah the son of Haggith came to Bathsheba the mother of Solomon. And she said, "¹²Do you come peacefully?" And he said, "Peacefully."

14 Then he said, "I have something to say to you." And she said, "Speak."

15 So he said, "You know that ¹³the kingdom was mine and ¹⁴that all Israel expected * me to be king; ¹⁵however, the kingdom has turned about and become my brother's, ¹⁶for it was his from the LORD.

16 "Now I am making one request of you; do not refuse me." And she said to him, "Speak."

17 Then he said, "Please speak to Solomon the king, for he will not refuse you, that he may give me ¹⁷Abishag the Shunammite as a wife."

1 Kings 2:7-17 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO FIRST KING 2

This chapter gives an account of the charge David gave to his son Solomon, a little before his death, to walk in the ways of the Lord, 1Ki 2:1-4; and of some instructions delivered to him concerning some particular persons he should either show favour to, or execute justice on, 1Ki 2:5-9; and the next account in it is concerning his death and burial, and the years of his reign, 1Ki 2:10,11; after which it relates an address of Bathsheba to Solomon in favour of Adonijah, which was refused, and the issue of it was his death, 1Ki 2:12-25; and the deposition of Abiathar from the priesthood, 1Ki 2:26,27; and the putting of Joab to death for his treason and murders, 1Ki 2:28-34; in whose post Benaiah was put, as Zadok was in the place of Abiathar, 1Ki 2:35; and lastly the confinement of Shimei in Jerusalem, who had cursed David, 1Ki 2:36-38; who upon transgressing the orders given him was put to death, 1Ki 2:39-46.

Cross References

• 1. 2 Samuel 19:31-38
• 2. 2 Samuel 9:7, 10
• 3. 2 Samuel 17:27-29
• 4. 2 Samuel 16:5-8
• 5. 2 Samuel 19:18-23
• 6. 1 Kings 2:6
• 7. Acts 2:29; Acts 13:36
• 8. 2 Samuel 5:7; 1 Kings 3:1
• 9. 2 Samuel 5:4, 5; 1 Chronicles 3:4; 1 Chronicles 29:26, 27
• 10. 2 Samuel 5:5
• 11. 1 Chronicles 29:23; 2 Chronicles 1:1
• 12. 1 Samuel 16:4
• 13. 2 Samuel 3:3, 4; 1 Kings 2:22
• 14. 1 Kings 1:5-25
• 15. 1 Kings 1:38-50
• 16. 1 Chronicles 22:9, 10; 1 Chronicles 28:5-7
• 17. 1 Kings 1:3, 4

Footnotes

• [a]. Lit "came near to"
• [b]. Or "grievous"
• [c]. I.e. the nether world
• [d]. Lit "set their faces on me"
• [e]. Lit "turn away my face"
• [f]. Lit "turn away your face"